Buffalo secures top pick in draft

There was little suspense - and no top 3 pick - for the Blues in the 2018 National Hockey League draft lottery Saturday night in Toronto.

The Ottawa Senators were the biggest losers after entering the lottery with the second best odds, behind only the Buffalo Sabres, with a 13.5 per cent chance to win the top selection, but dropped to fourth overall.

The Sabres selected Gilbert Perreault with the first pick in 1970, their inaugural season.

Following last night's drawing, Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill said he's happy for the fans. Carolina got very lucky in the draft lottery, landing the No. 2 overall pick despite the slim chances to do so.

"We talked about change, and everyone assumes that's like bringing in new players or bringing in new coaches, but it's also changing things, how you go about your training", said Botterill, who took over in May after GM Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma were fired. Since Buffalo had already won a pick, those numbers were returned to the hopper and a new combination was drawn.

A huge jump up to the second-overall selection should see the Carolina Hurricanes land winger Andrei Svechnikov.

The Hurricanes and Canadiens moved ahead of Ottawa and Arizona.

Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is regarded as the top-rated prospect and is listed first among European skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final rankings.

The Carolina Hurricanes got some great news on April 28, when they landed the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

The draft will be held June 22-23 in Dallas. There is an agreement in place for Peter Karmanos Jr.to sell a majority stake of the team to Tom Dundon.

Dahlin has the chance of becoming just the second Swedish-born player to be taken first after the Quebec Nordiques chose Mats Sundin with the No. 1 pick in 1989. The 18-year-old was named the best defenseman at the World Juniors in Buffalo earlier this year.

Dropping out of a top three position this year especially hurts the Coyotes, a team struggling in the Right Wing position. And Dahlin also had an assist in two games at the Pyeongchang Olympics in February. The Blues would have kept the pick if it was within the top 10.

The remaining order for the first round's picks will be determined as the Stanley Cup playoffs progress. The Philadelphia Flyers will select at No. 14 via a conditional pick acquired from the St. Louis Blues in June 2017.